


A Christmas Surprise

by Veronica1986



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Swan Queen Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Don't worry, F/F, Idiots in Love, Mentions of WickedBeauty, POV Emma, True Love's Kiss, hook barely appears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 19:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veronica1986/pseuds/Veronica1986
Summary: After returning from wish realm and defeating Rumple once and for all, Emma and Regina understand the size of what they feel for each other, also breaking the curse that the Queen had put in the heart that Snow and Charming shared.The months pass quietly and contrary to what they thought no one was surprised to see the sheriff and the mayor together, but nevertheless Christmas would bring a great surprise for all, especially for Regina.





	A Christmas Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> I did not have beta for this one shot so if there are mistakes and you guys kindly point me out, I'll fix them. Hope you like it.
> 
> The parts in italics are Emma's memories.

_"Regina, you can't go alone to face Gold and the Queen." I begged her with my hands on her shoulders._

_"I need it, Emma. I will not let you sacrifice herself for me again and this is not open to discussion." She looked away and I noticed that her eyes were wet. Damn it! I hated it when she looked like that._

_"I can't let you get out of here." In an instant I touched her chin and made her look at me. "I can't let you take a chance, I can't risk Henry losing you. I can't lose you."_

_Her eyes widened in confusion. With the corner of my eye I saw Killian, my mother, Zelena and Belle paying attention to us even if they tried to disguise. Regina looked at me as if waiting for me to say something else, but what could I say? We stared at each other for almost a minute and then she made a move away from me, as if she had given up waiting for something I couldn’t say._

_"Emma, I don’t understand-" Before she could finish the sentence, I kissed her. I needed to do that, somehow, she needed to know why I couldn't lose her._

_It wasn’t a kiss like in the movies, it was very simple indeed. When I felt her lips against mine and didn’t feel her hands pulling me away or my body flying around the room I decided to go ahead. I held her face in my hands and deepened the kiss. Contrary to what I imagined, she didn’t push me away. Instead I felt her hands on my waist, as if she held me in place. As I kissed her I felt as if everything around us were moving in slow motion. A warm wave spread through the room and then I felt as if our magic were melting and spreading all over the town. Kissing her was like a summer afternoon and I didn’t want it to run out, but Henry's voice woke me up and even reluctantly I interrupted the kiss. We stood in the same place, our foreheads together, our gazes connected as always, and our shy, explosive smiles, a mixture of so many feelings that neither dared say at this moment. I heard my father calling for my mother and at that moment we finally resolved to get out of our bubble and look around. David looked at us confusedly, Mary was smiling so widely that I thought her face would tear, Henry, although it seemed a little confused, showed a satisfied smile, Zelena smiled, but struggled to keep the pose that nothing was affecting her while at her side Belle smiled so intensely that I finally smiled back at her._

_“What I lose?” My father's sleepy, confused voice made us look in his direction._

_“True love is the most powerful magic of all. The only that can break any curse.” Killian seemed to say randomly. "It's about time, Swan”._

_“The moment is touching, but we still have a Dark One and my Evil Sister to face.” Zelena rose to stand before Belle and said something I couldn't hear, for at that moment I felt Regina's hand on my face._

_"I can't explain how, but I feel that my evil half has returned to the place I should never have left." I saw her looking at me worried and didn't understand why._

_"You mean the Queen has come back into you?" I looked at her, trying to read her expressions._

_“I'm afraid so.” Regina blushed and lowered her gaze for a moment and then looked at me again. “I'll understand if you don't want to...”_

_I put my finger on her lips, so she would shut up and smiled trying to calm her down. How could she think I'd change my mind just because of it? We would have to have a serious conversation later._

_"Is that a problem for you?" Her voice roused me as some inappropriate thoughts crossed my mind at an even less appropriate time._

_"Not at all." I caressed her face and laid a quick kiss on her lips. "I know we have a lot to talk about, but for the moment what you need to know is that I love every part of you."_

_She smiled in a way that I had never seen, not even with Henry, and it sent little sparks of joy through my body. We walked to my parents and as we talked briefly with them about going with Zelena to meet the Dark One and an angry cry caught our attention. Belle stared into the empty space before of her with a mixture of fear and concern and I heard Regina grumble next to me. We stood up and disappeared in our smoke, appearing beside Zelena who was standing before Gold pawn shop._

_"Why didn’t you wait for us?" Regina rolled her eyes as her sister stared at the shop entrance._

_"You were busy, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment." She replied, looking at us from the corner of her eye._

_"You know, if you die facing the Dark One she'll never know how you feel. Besides, you have a daughter who needs her mother.” Regina replied, alternating her gaze between her sister and the store door._

_"She'll never know." Zelena turned to us at last. "And if I die facing the Dark One at least I will have done something good, not just for her, but for my daughter and you, too."_

_"I don’t want to interrupt this family chat, but who exactly are you talking about?" Regina looked at me as if she didn’t believe my question, and Zelena just grimaced and looked away._

_“Your girlfriend is very slow for the Savior.”_

_“She's not my girlfriend. Yet.” Regina's response made my heart beat faster, and I could only smile._

_Our little discussion lasted a few more minutes while Regina tried to tear out her sister's plan to stop Rumplestiltskin and she told us that after he had asked for the Evil Queen to kill her they finally decided to find a way to stop him. The first option would simply kill him and that would make one of the two the new Dark One’s, but because of her daughter and a love that I still didn’t know what it was, Zelena discarded this idea and went after another. After researching and some contacts, they found a way to eliminate Rumplestiltskin without a new Dark One coming out and we would try to put that plan into practice. Zelena recounted that the Evil Queen still had in her possession the bottle of water from the river of souls that Gold brought from the Underworld and that they got a bottle of powder paint. The plan was to immobilize him with the paint and then give him some of the water. The rest would be applied on his dagger and, so we would get rid of the two without major problems._

_When we got back to my parent’s apartment I went to talk to Hook and put an end to our relationship. Surprising everyone he said that he always knew what I felt for Regina, but that he could not force me into anything, this should be my decision and that he knew that if he pressed me to admit what I felt for her I would eventually run away from everyone and he was right. After our conversation he went to Regina and called her to a far corner. I knew they had a long and troubled story that came from a long time ago and as everyone was looking for a new beginning, it would be good if everything was properly resolved. I left the house where we were living for him and went back to my parent’s apartment. Henry shared his weeks between there and Regina's house. Belle moved in with Zelena and they were both learning to be mothers, to deal with the challenges of caring for a baby._

I felt Regina's hands on my waist and her face on my shoulder, it awakened me from the memories of that day. I turned my face so that my lips found hers in a quick, loving kiss.

"What were you thinking?" She asked, still holding me.

"I was remembering the day I did the best thing of my life." I smiled turning completely to her and wrapping my arms around her neck. "And that this is our first Christmas without monsters or villains out there. The first one we'll spend as a real family. Complete and in peace."

"Can you believe that?" Regina laughed, and my world filled with light.

"It doesn't look like it's been six months since then." I kissed her and then pulled her by the hand to the kitchen. I was starving and knew we had apple pie in the oven. "My mother doesn't stop talking about our first Christmas as a big family. Sometimes I think she's more anxious than I am."

"Oh, my love, you definitely have no idea how your mother can be sometimes." Regina's laughter filled the kitchen and my heart.

I swallowed half the apple pie she had made last night and then we went to my parent’s house to pick up Henry to go shopping for Christmas presents. Regina said that she would go to Zelena's house because she needed to talk to her about some matters of the town hall and we would meet later. When I got to my parent’s apartment I ended up joining them for a second breakfast.

"Regina is not feeding you right?" Mary asked as she watched as I put another pancake on my plate and covered it with chocolate syrup.

"Oh, no, she feeds me very, very well." I said putting a generous piece in my mouth. "But when I got here and saw the pancakes, I couldn't resist.”

"Emma, this must already be the sixth pancake you eat in less than fifteen minutes, are you sure Regina is not denying food to you?" My dad asked as he turned the dough into the frying pan.

"Regina doesn't deny anything to me. And neither did I to her." It was only when I saw the expressions of Henry and my mother that I realized how the phrase sounded. "I mean, she does everything I want."

"My dear, we already understand." My father put another pancake on my plate and exchanged a quick glance with Mary. "No need to explain yourself."

I gave them a shy smile and went back to eating. The first time David had made pancakes for me, I joked with him that I was the Savior, not a Roman fighter, and today I can hardly stop eating his pancakes.

Hook and Aladdin were helping us in the police station, and although there wasn't much happening in the town, it was nice to have more people to take turns, so that my father could spend more time with Mom and Neal and I with Regina and Henry. Jasmine followed as my mother's assistant teacher and Zelena had recently opened a portal, so Granny could visit Ruby and Dorothy in Oz. Regina, Zelena, and I remade the protection around the town to avoid unwanted visitors like Greg and Tamara once were, but unlike the previous spell, this time any dweller could come and go as they pleased. Ella and her sister took care of the nursery, and Thomas took care of the animal shelter along with Liam, Killian's brother. At Belle's request we closed the Gold store with blood magic and so anything that could harm people's lives was kept away. Gradually everyone's life was back to normal and we were getting used to the changes.

_"Henry said he needs a new computer for school work." I was lying with Regina and she rested her head on my lap as I stroked her hair. "I think maybe we could give him a new one."_

_"Yeah... I think so." She turned and stood over me and stared at me for a few seconds in silence. "When he brought you here I wanted to blow his computer, but on second thought, it's good that he did."_

_She smiled and before I even had a chance to respond her lips were pressed against mine in an intense kiss. It had been about two months since we were together and every time we were alone she would back down when things got more intense and I didn't understand why. When she again stopped my caresses, and rolled to the side I turned to her and looked at her in silence for a few minutes, trying to figure out what the problem was, but it was useless and that was already consuming me. Not because I was a teenager who couldn't control my desires or anything, but I really didn't understand why she always backtracked and I was beginning to think that the problem was me and she must have realized it._

_"Emma, I’m sorry, don’t think I don't want you, it's just..." She sat on the bed and I followed her, waiting for her to continue. "When I was the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest, I ended up adopting a kind of personality, you know? The things I did, like I did, gave the false feeling that I was unattainable, that no one could ever hurt me again, but I'm not proud of it. I've used people, I've manipulated, I've done terrible things, and it's only after we met, after I realized what I feel about you, that I realized how wrong I was. I want you, I want more than anything, but I don't feel dign..."_

_Before she could finish the sentence, I silenced her with a finger. Hearing her say such things made it seem like an invisible hand had entered my chest and was slowly crushing my heart. How could she think that? After everything we've been through, after everything she's faced, how much she has changed..._

_I took her in my arms and wrapped her in a tight hug. I felt her tears wetting the fabric of my shirt and it was tearing me apart. When she calmed down I took my hand to her face and made her look at me. Her eyes were red, her face tear-stained, and my heart broken. I kissed her cheeks where her tears had come down and then I gave her a quick kiss._

_"Gina, never repeat that." I barely recognized my voice, and neither did she. I was talking to her as gently as I had ever spoken to anyone. "You're the most incredible woman I know. I know you've done things that still hurt and torment you, but I'm here, I'm with you and always will be. We cannot change the things that happened and in fact I wouldn't change anything because if it had been different maybe we wouldn't be here today. Remember when we kissed the first time, what did I tell you?"_

_"That you love every part of me." She answered in a hoarse voice._

_"Exactly." I stroked her face again, our stares locked as it always had. "Since I discovered what I felt, I knew I would love every part of you, for every part, good or bad, was part of the woman I love."_

"Earth for Emma." Henry's voice woke me up and I came across the three of them staring at me.

"What?" I finished my pancake while Henry and my mother just shook their heads.

"Nothing." He answered getting up. "Come on, Ma, we'll have a long day today."

After we finished the coffee I picked up Henry and went for gifts for everyone, although I didn’t know what I could give even to my parents. We went to the nearby town in an attempt to find something for everyone for the third time. Christmas was getting closer and I still hadn't bought anything for anyone. Regina didn’t say anything, but I knew she was apprehensive about this family reunion, and as much as I tried to tell her everything would go well, I understood her fear. Ever since we met we never had peace for long, there were always problems, monsters, or villains to fight and we weren't too accustomed to such tranquility. In the first few months, I think we've all been waiting for something new to happen. Some new villain, that Gold somehow could came back to get his revenge, or that Jafar could break free again, anything, but it seems that our lives had finally found days of peace.

Regina and I decided to take it easy at first. Gradually we returned to the rhythm of normal work and at the end of the week I went to her house, sometimes with Henry together, sometimes just us, sometimes I dragged her to my parent’s house or we were going to visit Belle and Zelena. Once she took me to the farms I kept in the farthest part of town and the place was just beautiful. We spent a weekend there and she told me about when I fell on the portal to save her from the wrath, that Victor had brought Daniel back to life and that once again she had to see him go and since then never again she had stepped there, but that with me at her side she felt that perhaps it was time to return to one of her favorite places. It was incredible how even after so many years I still discovered things about her, things that fascinated me, things that made me want to kill everyone who dared to hurt her, regardless of how, but there were good memories as well. They were just buried under a lot of pain and I was glad I was able to help her get them back.

"Ma." Henry's voice woke me up, making me look around. "Are you going to be standing all day here or are we going to go in with the surprise to Mom?"

"You're right, kid." I ruffle his hair and got out of the car.

I stopped again when we got to the clinic door. I felt Henry's hand on my shoulder in a slight squeeze, as if encouraging me in silence and so we entered. I went to the front desk and then we went to the doctor's room I had looked for the other time we were there. In a few minutes she entered the room with a white envelope and handed it to me.

"Congratulations, Miss Swan."

"I'm? I will...?" I could barely believe that this was true. I looked to the side and Henry's smile widened even more, reminding me of Regina.

"Ma, you're having a baby!" He threw himself against me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

I felt my tears fall silent and his tears wet my shirt. The doctor passed all the necessary information up there and then we took the road back to Storybrooke. I left the envelope in the car because it was the only place I was sure no one would find. I didn’t want to tell anyone before Regina and if I went to my parent’s house, they would do a real interrogation. I left Henry with them and went to the mansion. Regina had invited me to live with her after a few months we were together, and it seemed the right thing to do.

This last week it seems that winter has finally come, and the streets, houses and shops were covered in snow, making the town even more beautiful. When Regina created Storybrooke, she might even have made it her intention to make people unhappy, and maybe she did it for a while, but no one could deny that the town was beautiful and cozy. I enjoyed that Regina wasn't home yet and I went to prepare our dinner. Henry was staying with my parents and even leaving to tell the news to Regina only on Christmas Eve, it would be good to spend the night with her. While cooking I couldn't help but remember when I discovered that I was pregnant with Henry and everything that has happened since then. Thinking about raising a baby with Regina made me smile and hum through the kitchen while preparing my specialty; Pasta with cheese and white sauce. At the end of the afternoon I went to search for Zelena's house and after dinner we went for a walk around the town, despite the snow all over the city, the weather was nice and good for a walk.

(…)

"When you lived in the Enchanted Forest," I asked, drawing Regina's attention immediately. I avoided asking questions from that time because I knew that sometimes it could be really painful for them, but I was curious about it. "What was it like in those days? You celebrated those dates, or I don't know..."

"Not exactly." She came over and sat on my lap smiling as I put my arms around her waist. "We did not celebrate those dates, but there were dances, balls, they were usually made on special occasions, celebrations and things like that. Planning them took months and I wanted to leave you mother in the woods every time she invented a new one."

"My mother wasn't an easy person, was she?" I loved to hear the sound of her laughter. Her laughter, her voice. Everything that came from Regina enchanted me.

"No, but I wasn't at my best either, so..." Regina lay on my lap and played with her hair. "The dances have always been great. There were outdoor games, reading sessions, musicians, and other artists came to the castle to introduce themselves, lots of food and drink as well. Why the question?"

"I'm just curious." I shrugged and captured her lips in a kiss.

We stayed there for a long time. We talked about the celebration that was being planned for this Christmas, the people who would be present, foods and gifts. The noise of the door being opened aroused our attention and Henry entered the house.

"At least you're dressed this time." He grinned and came up to us and kissing each one.

"Kid, look how you talk." I rebuked him, but the three of us knew it wasn't for real.

"I'm sorry, but it was my grandmother and I who needed a session with Archie." He laughed and joined us on the couch. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to go into the kitchen and bring our ice cream." I gave my best smile to him who just rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen. "Mine with caramel syrup!"

"You're getting fat, my love." Regina turned to me with an amused smile. "Am I not giving you enough exercise?"

"Mom, I can hear you!" The amused tone of defeat in Henry's voice made the two of us fall into a delicious laugh.

Soon he was back in the room with three glasses of vanilla ice cream with caramel syrup for me and chocolate for Regina and him. We spent part of the night watching movies and we couldn't stop ourselves from laughing at Regina's reactions to some scenes.

"Does not this guy get tired of swearing or joking about sex?" She turned to me with an indignant look after twenty minutes from the start of Deadpool. "Emma, how do you let our son watch this kind of movie?"

"Mom, I'm old enough to see this kind of movie." Henry replied smiling and making that puppy face that fell of the change.

We lay sprawled on the couch watching the movie and before we went up to the room I decided to make another snack with a disbelieving look from Regina.

Waking up next to her was one of the best things in life and I would not trade it for anything.

With Zelena's help I went to Arendelle to ask Elsa for a little something and she and Anna were very happy to be able to help. One night my dear sister-in-law opened the portal and they came into town and Elsa froze a lake, so we could skate and invited them to stay in town for a few days. They accepted the invitation animatedly and the next day we all went to lunch together and took the opportunity to summarize what happened after they left for their kingdom. Now the sisters had a friend, a snowman named Olaf and he was being my fun. I looked more like a kid than Henry and Ella's daughter when he was around, which ends up being a lot of jokes coming from Zelena. Regina was surprised to see the sisters in town and when she asked me what the occasion was, I said it was part of my Christmas gift to her and as always, I got a suspicious look in return.

After lunch we went to the place where Elsa had frozen the lake and after some insistence Regina slipped on the skates and I held her to help her balance as we slid into the center of the lane.

"I don't know how you can balance on that." She mumbled seeing Henry sliding back and forth easily with Anna and the snowman. "Whose idea was that?"

I did my best to stay focused and not laugh, but seeing Regina that way, so adorable in her uncertain steps on the ice, trying to keep the pose was impossible.

"I can feel you laughing, Emma, and if you don't stop, I swear..." Regina released herself and tried to turn to me and at that moment she ended up swaying and falling.

Her expression wasn't of pain, but of irritation. Regina didn't accept being less than perfect and doing something and failing before others wasn't something she liked very much. I struggled not to laugh but seeing her gaze toward me this was inevitable and there I was, bursting into a laugh and before I realized my feet were in the air and I was sitting on the ice in front of her with a fake indignant look.

"Moms!" Henry skidded over us, not sure which one to help first. "Are you all right?"

"Yes Dear." Regina was trying to get up without much success and I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Henry skidded in her direction and without him noticing I moved my fingers causing him to fall as well and while Regina looked at him terrified he burst out laughing. She just shook her head as I crawled up to her to help her up.

"Not that I do not enjoy it when you're in that position, but I prefer it to happen only when we're alone." Regina muttered as I approached, making my body practically catch fire. God! Thank goodness I was not the Human Torch. "I don't like other people looking at my girl's body.”

Without answering we just puffed ourselves in my smoke and got us out of there carrying us straight to our room in the mansion. Before she complained about the wet clothes or that we hurt our skates, I moved my hands and got rid of all that. I shuddered every time I saw her naked, it was as if I was seeing something unmatched, could be lost for minutes and minutes just looking with the same silly face always. Her voice asking if I was going to do something or just look at her woke me up and then I covered her body with mine capturing her lips in an urgent kiss. Her hands explored my body and scraped my skin mercilessly. Our bodies wrapped in the sheet in a mess of legs, arms, tongues, and groans, burning every part of me as only she could do. When our bodies finally fell exhausted in bed and she rested her head on my chest I heard her laughing low.

"What's it?" I tilted my head to look at her.

"I thought the intention was to have a skating class today." She laughed and laid a kiss on my neck.

"We'll have time." I hugged her and spread kisses down her face. "It's not like the lake was thawing without Elsa doing it."

(…)

Elsa and Anna and the snowman had come back to Arendelle to celebrate Christmas with the residents of the kingdom and I had finally managed to buy everyone's gifts. Regina and I bought a new computer for Henry and they both helped me pick gifts for my parents. The three of us also picked together the presents of Belle and Zelena and Killian and his brother. For the others I let my parents choose, after all they knew them very well.

It was Christmas Eve and we were all gathered in the mansion. Zelena, Belle, their babies, my parents, Killian and Liam, Ella, Thomas and their baby, Aladdin and Jasmine, the dwarfs and I believe half of Storybrooke too. Only Granny wasn't present because she had not yet returned from Oz. I was trying not to show my nervousness and every time I failed I was happy to think that the reason was our first family reunion.

The Christmas Eve dinner went smoothly despite so many people in the mansion and I had to hold myself so as not to reveal the novelty ahead of time. Henry persuaded me to do this with everyone assembled and even if I had preferred to do just with Regina and he at the outset I accepted his idea leaving it for the next morning when we would meet to exchange the gifts in the mansion.

I was avoiding drinking, and this was giving me confused looks from Regina and my parents, but I just smiled and got another glass of juice. I was going to go crazy during that little party.

"Is everything okay, my love?" Regina approached when she saw me refuse alcohol for the fifth time that night.

"Yes." I smiled at her, putting my arm around her waist. "I'm not in the mood for alcohol today. It's our first Christmas together and I want to enjoy it in the best way possible."

"Are you happy about that?" She asked taking me by surprise. What kind of question was that? Did it ever seem that I was not happy?

"Yes, baby, I told you, there's nothing I've wanted more than this moment. My family, my son, a girlfriend who loves me..." My voice faltered, and I felt the tears burning in my throat.

"It's just... I'm feeling you a little nervous." Regina looked at me seriously.

"Well... it's the first Christmas I have this" I gestured at the people scattered around the room. "Throughout my life I never believed that one day it would happen, you know? As a child I dreamed that one day a good family would adopt me, and I would finally have a good Christmas, but when that didn't happen I simply gave up dreaming about it." I looked at her and her eyes were wet with the tears she was trying to keep from falling. "But I also told you that it wouldn't change anything in my life. If anything had happened differently we probably wouldn't have Henry and we wouldn't be here now. When we were in Neverland you said that you didn't regret anything you did because that I brought you our son." I smiled caressing her face and wiping away the tears that began to fall. "Today I know you well enough to know that this is not exactly true and that you regret many things you did in the past, but think on that side... if things had been different none of that would have existed. I would had lived in the Enchanted Forest and I would probably be like that weak princess you encountered when you came to rescue me. Everything that happened in our lives, good or bad, brought us here and I do not regret it."

"Emma ..." She whispered and kissed me.

I hugged her deepening the kiss and resting my hands on her hip. A low moan escaped our lips as my tongue slid against hers and I felt her fingernail caressing my skin above the hem of my pants. "I love you, Regina Mills and there is no one else in the world that I would like to have as the mother of my children."

Our foreheads rested together, and I saw her eyes shine as I said it. My eyes widened when I realized what I had said, and she looked at me confused. I did not want to ruin the surprise and change Henry's plans, but if she asked me I would not hold it any longer. Keeping that away from Regina's knowledge was killing me and I knew that if she asked and I invented something the glint in her gaze would be replaced with sadness and I could not afford it.

"W-what do you mean, Emma?"

I smiled sheepishly and released myself from her embrace and walked toward the tree. I didn't know how to say it. When I became pregnant with Henry, I didn't have the experience of having someone to receive the news. I had no one to tell, no one to be happy for me, but this time it was different. I had Regina, I had our son and our family. I knew that even if it was unexpected they would be happy for me. For us. As I walked to the big tree by the fireplace, my gaze met Henry's, and he stared wide-eyed as if to say it was not time yet, but I just smiled at him and then he saw Regina's confused and afraid look and understood what was happening. He gave me an encouraging smile and I bent down in front of the tree tinkering with the pile of gifts.

When I found what I was looking for, I got up and looked at our son again with a discreet nod and Regina's gaze alternated between us. She was starting to get nervous.

Henry walked to the center of the room and caught everyone's attention. I always hated being the center of attention, but Regina deserved it. She was the most incredible person in the whole world and I would do anything for her. I held her hand and Regina looked at me confused. "It's not gift time yet, Emma."

I smiled as my cheeks burned and I handed her the package I held. "Open it." I asked quietly.

Regina looked at me suspiciously and I just smiled at her.

And so she did. She unwrapped the present without taking her eyes from mine and must have noticed my apprehension, by the time the package was gone she looked at the box in her hands. Electronic babysitter, the best way to take care of your baby from a distance - it said on the packaging. She looked at me confused for a few seconds and when she saw Henry walking up to us with the envelope in his hands I think she finally understood. Regina threw herself into my arms and I felt the tears wetting my clothes, but this time I knew they were tears of happiness. I gently lifted Regina's face and kissed her. A sweet, warm kiss, an explosion of feelings as intense as the first time we kissed. I felt her hands tangled in my hair and brought me closer to her, the warmth of her body radiating to me through the thick coat we wore. I forgot everything and everyone around and I lost myself in this kiss. This one was different from all the others we had already changed. Maybe because she knew about the baby, maybe because of everything that was accumulated in our lives all this time, maybe because that was the new beginning indeed. After we finally stopped kissing, I held her for a few minutes and listened to my parent’s voices as they filled Henry with questions. Regina spread kisses on my face and pulled me into another hug whispering in my ear that this was the happiest day of her life. And it was mine too. When we finally let go my parents came to greet us and as expected the two of them cried like babies. Not only happy to be able to keep up with my gestation, but happy for Regina to finally have everything she deserved as well. One by one the guests came to greet us and after the euphoria subsided we exchanged the rest of the presents. It was late at night when we finally went to sleep, exhausted, happy, and complete.

(…)

The next day I got up early and prepared our breakfast and took it to Regina in bed. She scolded me for the day when we went skating, saying if something might have happened when she knocked me down and she would never forgive herself if that was the case and I reassured her that when she fell, and I laughed, I expected her to do it then I made sure nothing happened to the baby. After the coffee I dragged her out of the house and took her to the stable we went to from time to time. When we got there, I took her to the bays with my hands covering her face we stopped at a brown horse with a white spot and then let her see it.

"Emma, what does that mean?" Regina alternated her gaze between the animal and me.

"Before you think I've done anything crazy, I did not bring your horse back from the Underworld, but after hearing so many stories about Rocinante and I know how much he means to you..." I couldn’t finish the sentence because she pulled me into a kiss and again tears of happiness wet her face.

"You never seem to stop surprising me." She turned in my arms and we stared at the horse that looked as happy as she. "There's no denying that you're the daughter of your parents."

“It's a family thing.” She laughed, and my laughter intensified as her laughter echoed through the stable.

We stayed there for some more time and by lunch time we returned home. Henry was waiting in the room anxious to know what Regina had found of her other gift and she hugged him tightly thanking him for his participation in everything. We gather at the table for lunch and once again we are all together. My mother filled us with questions about where we were most of the morning and Regina was happy to tell them that she had won a new horse, then of course my mother filled us with questions about the pregnancy and how it had happened. I mentally thanked Regina for giving only the abridged version of the facts or I was going to open a portal to the kingdom so far away and only go back in my other life.

At the end of the day everyone returned to their homes and we went to take a relaxing bath before bed. I brought Regina into my arms and kissed her softly, feeling her hands inside my shirt and smiled in the kiss. I would never get tired of that woman. Our bodies rolled under the sheet in a synchronized dance, our breaths breathless, my hands exploring every part of her body as she distributed kisses for mine, her scent, everything in her was addictive. When we finally collapsed completely exhausted on bed I brought her into my arms again and I pulled a few strands of her hair that were glued to her forehead and kissed all over her face.

“Merry Christmas, Regina.” I smiled, passing the tip of my nose to hers.

“Merry Christmas, Emma.” She stroked my face and kissed me again.

We were finally at peace; our lives were as we always dreamed, and we couldn’t be happier. We watched the snow fall slowly through the window while we were warm underneath the thick blanket until we fell asleep.


End file.
